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Bookstores
Shopping for books is one of the most important tasks for freshmen, and it starts right at the beginning of school. This puts freshmen in a predicament because most of them are still not adjusted to their new surroundings in Athens, and may not know where they should go to get books. This can lead to early problems with grades, as well as unnecessary spending. In order to avoid these problems, students should first know that all teachers and professors will go over their syllabus with them during the first class of each semester. Every syllabus lists which books students will need for class, and most syllabi should be posted online at the e Learning Commons. The first thing freshmen should do is when buying books is finding the books they would need, and unless they have a book scholarship, they should find the type of that book they would want (new, used, or digital) and buy it at the store with best price they can find. The UGA Bookstore The UGA Bookstore is the on campus bookstore, which makes it a convenient location for most freshmen. It is in the middle of campus at the Tate Center. It offers new, used, and digital textbooks, and it will have any book or supply that a student could need for a class because it is run by the university itself. Anyone with a book scholarship should only look for their books here. They have a large inventory of new books, and anyone looking for a new book should definitely make a stop here. A big issue most freshmen have with this store is that it sells out of books pretty quickly. A good way to get around the big lines is to order the book into the store online, and then go pick it up. The website has a really easy search that narrows down from the term to the specific class a student is taking. It then pulls up all the books listed for that class, and shows if they have the new, used, or digital versions of the book. It also shows if the book is available for rental, as well as the prices for all of these options. They will even ship the book to the dorms if a student doesn't have the time to go get the book from the store. One disadvantage of the UGA Bookstore is that they have more strict policy for rentals and the re-purchasing of books. Both policies state that books must be returned or sold “in good shape, with binding, covers and every page in tact. Excessive highlighting, underlining or other markings may decrease a book's buyback value" ("Cash for Books- About Buyback"). Because of this policy, they tend to offer slightly higher prices for rentals and used books than the other local stores, but prices for new books are about the same for all of the Athens area stores. Of all of the Athens area stores, the UGA Bookstore is the only one that sells digital textbooks. These can be found and purchased on their website. The Off Campus Bookstore The Off Campus Bookstore is located on Baxter Street about 2 blocks from Brumby and Russell Halls. It is a convenient location for anybody who lives in the high rise dorms to go get their books from. Their website really pushes their used book inventory, and they claim that students can save at least 25% by buying used books from their store ("Things Every Student Should Know About Textbooks"). They also have a buyback policy, but it does not specify the condition the books must be in. The store also has a free text message line that allows students to text the ISBN number of their book and recieve the value of their book from the store, and students can sell books back to them at any point during the semester ("Things Ever Student Should Know About Textbooks"). Another convenience that the Off Campus Bookstore offers to students who are trying to sell thier books is a drive through line. Students can drive up to a window at the store and have thier books purchased very quickly ("Things Every Student Should Know About Textbooks"). These conveniences make the Off Campus Bookstore one of the best places to go purchase a used book because many people sell their books back here. However, the prices are about the same as the UGA Bookstore. The Baxter Street Bookstore The Baxter Street Bookstore offers new and used textbooks, and they also sell UGA apparel. It is in a great location for freshmen who live in the high rise dorms, as it is literally across the street from Russell Hall. They even sell student notes for those students who are either too lazy to take their own, or would just like extra notes to help with studying. This is a huge advantage that the Baxter Street Bookstore has over the other local stores. The Baxter Street Bookstore, like the UGA Bookstore, buys books back at the end of the semester, and they "coordinate with local professors and administrators to make sure we Baxter Street Bookstore have exactly what you need" ("Textbooks"). This store is another great place to go for students who are looking to save money by purchasing used books, and it, like the Off Campus Bookstore, has a text message system for students who are selling books to find out how much they are worth ("Free Automated Buyback Value Service"). Amazon.com For students who can afford to wait for books to be shipped to them from the internet, sites like Amazon are a great way to save a lot of money on books. There is no guarantee that the website will have all the books a student needs, but any student who can find a book here will save money. For example, a student can get the book Chemistry: The Central Science starting at $100 for a new or used version ("Chemistry: The Central Science"). The UGA Bookstore doesn't even offer a new version of this text for under $200, or a used version for under $150 ("Chem: 1311H: 23052"). However, savings this large are not guaranteed for every book on the website. A disadvantage of using Amazon comes when students buy used books. While there are quality ratings for every book, there is no guarantee that the ratings are accurate. This means that the condition of a used book from Amazon is not guaranteed, but they do offer coverage for any book they sell. "The condition of the item you buy and its timely delivery are guaranteed under the Amazon A to z Guarantee" ("A to z Guarantee Protection"). Therefore any student who is not satisfied with the condition of a book they buy on Amazon can issue a claim for a full refund, which makes Amazon a reliable source for books. Works Cited "A to z Guarantee Protection." Amazon. Web. 8 November 2011. "Cash for Books- About Buyback." The University of Georgia Bookstore. Web. 8 November 2011. "Chemistry: The Central Science." Amazon. Web. 8 November 2011. "Chem: 1311H: 23052." The University of Georgia Bookstore. Web. 8 November 2011. "Free Automated Buyback Value Service." The Baxter Street Bookstore. Web. 8 November 2011. "Textbooks." The Baxter Street Bookstore. Web. 8 November 2011. "Things Every Student Should Know About Textbooks." Off Campus Bookstore. Web. 8 November 2011. Category:Shopping